Detachable adjustable drive belt

ABSTRACT

A drive belt used for power transmission, such as an automobile fan belt, has metal bands secured around the side walls at opposite ends. In one embodiment, the bands have shaped openings or slots in thin metal walls extending beyond each end of the belt. A metal connector sleeve having like shaped wedged embossments or depressions in corresponding side walls is adapted to slidingly engage the bands at the opposite ends of the belt and interlock with the openings to provide a secure coupling and form a detachable continuous belt. A plurality of such shaped embossments spaced along the sleeve at opposite ends permit selection of different lengths for the connected belt which can be adjusted for varying size requirements. Worn, loose and broken belts can thus be easily replaced or tightened without difficult mechanical operations and only a limited stock of belts can accommodate a wide range of different sizes.

a United States Patent 1191 MacKeown 1 Apr. 10, 1973 54] DETACHABLEADJUSTABLE DRIVE 2,712,950 7/1955 Siebert ..285/7 BELT PrimaryExaminerFrancis K. Zugel [76] Inventor ggzs ggd xztg m 18 AssistantExaminer-Darrell Marquette pany NJ 07054 Attorney-Edward Goldberg [22]Filed: July 20, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT PP 164,318 A drive belt used forpower transmission, such as an automobile fan belt, has metal bandssecured around 52 US. Cl. .24 31 c, 24/31 B, 24/123 EC, the Side wallsat endsembodimen" 24/201 S, 287/108 the bands have shaped openings orslots in thin metal 51 Int. Cl ..F16g 7/02 walls extending beyond eachend of the A metal [58] Field of Search ..24/21-23, connector Sleevehaving like shaped wedged emboss' 31 R, 31 B, 31 C 31 p, 35, 201 S, 230SL, ments or depressions in corresponding side walls is 206, 123 R, 12374/231 J, 285/7; adapted to slidingly engage the bands at the opposite287/109, 115, 108 ends of the belt and interlock with the openings toprovide a secure coupling and form a detachable con- 5 References Citedtinuous belt. A plurality of such shaped embossments spaced along thesleeve at opposite ends permit selec- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion ofdifferent lengths for the connected belt which 279 267 6/1883 Nock.24/123 EC can be adjused for Varying Size requiremims' 3,0363351 5/1962Root "24 123 EC loose and broken belts can thus be easily replaced of2,295,029 9/1942 Cooney at 81W 24 1 C tightened without difficultmechanical operations and 1,706,354 3/1929 Geist ..24/31 C only alimited stock of belts can accommodate a wide 2,934,184 4/ 1960 Moser..287/109 range of different sizes.

342,850 6/1886 Smith ..24/3l C 2,430,328 11/1947 Daniels ..24/31 C i I I10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAHiHTEUAPmim 317259976 INVENTOR GRAEME J.MAC mow/v ATTORNEY 1 DETACHABLE ADJUSTABLE DRIVE BELT BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates tocouplings for drive belts and particularly to novel end connectionstherefor which permit simplified attachment to provide a continuous beltof adjustable length.

2. Description of the Prior Art Drive belts such as used in automobilesfor driving fans, generators and power steering mechanisms, are subjectto loosening, wear and breakage and require frequent replacement. Eachautomobile generally employs a belt of a specified size and length whichis often not readily available in an emergency and repair requires timeconsuming, costly and difficult labor. In addition, special tools may benecessary to loosen the various shafts and pulleys, slip the new beltover the pulleys and retighten the parts to provide the propertension inthe drive belt. There have been adjustable connector type belts proposedin the past, such as shown in US. Pat. No. 2,430,328 issued Nov. 4, i947and US. Pat. No. 1,706,354 issued Mar. 19, 1929, but these have beensomewhat complex, inefficient and difficult to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore the primary object of thepresent invention to provide a simplified detachable adjustable endconnector for a drive belt.

This is achieved by a pair of novel band connections secured around theside wallsat opposite ends of the belt. The bands have extensions withshapedslots or openings. A metal sleeve with correspondingly shapedembossments or depressions slidingly engages each end to interlock withthe slots and form a continuous belt. A plurality of embossments spacedalong the opposite ends of the sleeve permit selection of differentadjustable lengths. Other objects and advantages will become apparentfrom the following description together with the accompanying drawings.c

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED iEMBODIMENTS As shown in FIGS. 1a, b and c, a drive belt 10, of asuitable flexible material, has a pair of symmetrical metal bands orferrules l2, 14 secured around the angledside walls at each end. Thebands are preferably made of a metal such as spring steel havingsufficient resiliency to bend and regain its shape. The beltand bandsare V-shaped with a wide top wall and narrow bottom wall to engage aperipheral groove of a pulley.

Dimples or pierced holes 16 in each side of the thin metal walls of eachband penetrate and grip the sides of the belt to provide a secureconnection. The bands have extending portions 18,20 which extend beyondthe opposite ends of the belt. Each extension includes respectiveopenings or slots 22,24 in the side walls. The openings are preferablycrescent shaped and have laterally extending flat or straight sides oredges 26,28 adjacent the outer ends of the bands.

A metal connector sleeve 30, shown in FIGS.'2a and b has like angledside walls and symmetrical ends which are adapted to fit over or withinand slidably engage the band extensions 18, 20 at opposite ends of thebelt 10. The sleeve includes two pairs of oppositely facing crescentshaped depressions or embossments 32,34 on each side at each end whichengage the like shaped band openings 22,24. The inwardly protrudingdepressions are wedge shaped with shallow portions at the rounded outeredges 36,38 which increase in depth toward the inner flat or straightedges 40,42 away from the ends of the sleeve. The flat edges of thedepressions form wedges which interlock with the corresponding flatedges 26,28 of the openings inthe metal band extending ends.

Use of twosuch pairs of depressions at each end of the sleeve permitsselection of an adjustable belt length for replacement of a damagedoriginal one. In addition, an adjustment can be made to tighten beltswhich become loose during use andthus extend the life of the belt. Thisis done merely bypushing the bands at the ends of the belt togetherfurtherlnto the sleeve to engage the next or innermostdepression, suchas the two positions shown in FIGS. 3a and b. In this case additionalopenings 46 may be added in the metal band base portions 12, 14 aroundthe belt to accommodate the first or outermost sleeve depressions, whilethe second inner depressions engage the openings in the extended endportions of the bands. In another variation, the second depressionprotrude inwardly further than the first which merely slides over andrests on the base or inner band portion without having an added opening46.

As showninFIG. 4, the metal band 48 at one end o the belt may beextended and changed to include a number of depressions 50 in place ofthe openings. In this case the separate sleeve is dispensed with and theband incorporates the features of the sleeve to selectively engage acorresponding opening in the band at the other end of the belt. j I

Still other variations may include a sleeve which is of smaller widththan the metal bands to be inserted within the extended ends and havingwedged embossments protruding outwardly to engage the openings. Inaddition, the metal bands may incorporate the depressions orembossementswhile the sleeve may have the corresponding openingsor-slots. In this case the flat and round sides of the c rescent'shapedwedges and openings would be reversed in direction to maintain theelements in secure engagement under tension.

The dimensions of the band and sleeve elements will vary in accordancewith the size of thebelt to be utilized. Thus, by way of example only, abelt of about three-fourths of an inch in width across the top wouldrequire a band of similar or slightly larger width and aboutthree-fourths inch in length, while the sleeve would also be about thesame or slightly larger width than the band to provide sufficientclearance to fit over the band. The length of the sleeve would besomewhat high including a slight clearance for the depressions to fitinto the openings. Adjacent depressions may be spaced at intervalsv ofabout one-fourth inch. The thickness of the metal walls of the bands andsleeve are in the order of one thirty-second to three sixty-fourths ofan inch while the depressions protrude another onesixteenth toone-eighth of an inch to engage the openings.

in practice, in order to replace a torn or broken belt, a servicestation need only stock continuous rolls of belting material ofspecified width or cross-section and correspondingly sized sets of bandand sleeve coupling elements. The required length and couplings for apar ticular automobile model can be selected from a chart and the properlength belt out from the roll. The corresponding metal bands are thenslipped over the ends of the belt and clamped in place..A specialdimpling tool may be provided which fits around the band to pierce themetal walls and fasten the bands to each end of the belt. The belt isthen placed over the pulleys of the related drive shafts which need notbe moved and the sleeve pushed over both ends of the belt so that thedepressions snap into position to interlock with the band openings andcomplete the operation.

Thus, the entire method and system for changing and adjusting drivebelts is simplified by use of the present novel connector structure.While only selected embodiments of the invention have been illustrated,it is to be understood that many other variations may be made in theparticular design and configuration without departing from the scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A drive belt coupling comprising: an elongatedmember of resilient flexible material having opposite ends, upper andlower flat parallel walls, and symmetrical angled flat side walls, 7

first connecting means including a pair of thin metal bands having likeupper and lower flat walls, and angled side walls conforming to theshape of said member walls, said bands being secured to and around saidmember walls at respective ends, said band walls having portionsextending longitudinally beyond each said end, and

second connecting means including a thin metal sleeve having like flatparallel walls and angled side walls slideably engageable with said bandwalls extending portions, one of said first and second. connecting meanshaving shaped openings through said angled side walls thereof and spacedfrom the ends thereof, and the other of said connecting means havingembossments of substantially the same shape as said openings incorresponding angled side walls and spaced from the ends thereof, saidembossments fitting closely within and being interlockable with saidopenings to provide a detachable continuous belt. 2. The device of claim1 wherein the extending end portions of one of said bands includes saidmetal sleeve and is engageable with the extending end portions of theother of said metal bands.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said openings are in said extending endportions of said bands and said embossments are disposed at each end ofsaid sleeve side walls.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said one of said connecting meansincludes a plurality of like shaped openings spaced along the lengththereof to selectively engage said embossments in the other saidconnecting means.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein said sleeve includes a plurality oflike shaped embossments spaced along each said end of said sleeve sidewalls to selectively engage said openings to provide an adjustablelength belt.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the sleeve embossments at opposite endsof said sleeve are symmetrical to engage said openings in each of saidextending end portions of said bands at opposite ends of said belt, saidbands and sleeve'walls having substantially constant dimensionsthroughout their length.

7.,The device of claim 5 wherein said sleeve is of a wider dimensionthan said bands to slide over said extending end portions, and saidopenings in said bands are crescent shaped with a laterally extendingflat side adjacent the end of said band, said sleeve embossments beinglike crescent shaped depressions increasing in depth away from thesleeve ends and having a flat wedge portion interlockable withsaid flatside of said opening.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said bands have a plurality of piercedholes therein gripping said side walls of said flexible material, saidopenings being crescent shaped with laterally extending flat portionsadjacent said ends of said one connecting means and curved portionsextending outwardly from said ends of said one connecting means saidembossments being like crescent shaped depressions increasing in depthaway from said ends of said other connecting means and having lateralflat wedged portions opposite said ends of said other connecting meansinterlockable with said flat opening portions.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said belt, bands and sleeve areV-shaped and include a wide top wall, a narrow bottom wall and angledside walls.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein said bands have further openings insaid angled side walls'adapted to engage said 'plurality of sleeveembossments.

1. A drive belt coupling comprising: an elongated member of resilientflexible material having opposite ends, upper and lower flat parallelwalls, and symmetrical angled flat side walls, first connecting meansincluding a pair of thin metal bands having like upper and lower flatwalls, and angled side walls conforming to the shape of said memberwalls, said bands being secured to and around said member walls atrespective ends, said band walls having portions extendinglongitudinally beyond each said end, and second connecting meansincluding a thin metal sleeve having like flat parallel walls and angledside walls slideably engageable with said band walls extending portions,one of said first and second connecting means having shaped openingsthrough said angled side walls thereof and spaced from the ends thereof,and the other of said connecting means having embossments ofsubstantially the same shape as said openings in corresponding angledside walls and spaced from the ends thereof, said embossments fittingclosely within and being interlockable with said openings to provide adetachable continuous belt.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein theextending end portions of one of said bands includes said metal sleeveand is engageable with the extending end portions of the other of saidmetal bands.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said openings are in saidextending end portions of said bands and said embossments are disposedat each end of said sleeve side walls.
 4. The device of claim 1 whereinsaid one of said connecting means includes a plurality of like shapedopenings spaced along the length thereof to selectively engage saidembossments in the other said connecting means.
 5. The device of claim 3wherein said sleeve includes a plurality of like shaped embossmentsspaced along each said end of said sleeVe side walls to selectivelyengage said openings to provide an adjustable length belt.
 6. The deviceof claim 5 wherein the sleeve embossments at opposite ends of saidsleeve are symmetrical to engage said openings in each of said extendingend portions of said bands at opposite ends of said belt, said bands andsleeve walls having substantially constant dimensions throughout theirlength.
 7. The device of claim 5 wherein said sleeve is of a widerdimension than said bands to slide over said extending end portions, andsaid openings in said bands are crescent shaped with a laterallyextending flat side adjacent the end of said band, said sleeveembossments being like crescent shaped depressions increasing in depthaway from the sleeve ends and having a flat wedge portion interlockablewith said flat side of said opening.
 8. The device of claim 1 whereinsaid bands have a plurality of pierced holes therein gripping said sidewalls of said flexible material, said openings being crescent shapedwith laterally extending flat portions adjacent said ends of said oneconnecting means and curved portions extending outwardly from said endsof said one connecting means said embossments being like crescent shapeddepressions increasing in depth away from said ends of said otherconnecting means and having lateral flat wedged portions opposite saidends of said other connecting means interlockable with said flat openingportions.
 9. The device of claim 8 wherein said belt, bands and sleeveare V-shaped and include a wide top wall, a narrow bottom wall andangled side walls.
 10. The device of claim 7 wherein said bands havefurther openings in said angled side walls adapted to engage saidplurality of sleeve embossments.